Bilhour village emerges as model for multi-layer farming

Kanpur: Bhiti Haweli, a small village in Bilhour tehsil, is emerging as a model of innovative agriculture with the adoption of multi-layer farming, drawing attention from farmers and officials alike.The village has 453 farmers cultivating around 225 hectares of land, of which nearly 50 farmers have adopted multi-layer farming across 50 hectares. The technique involves growing multiple crops at different vertical levels in the same field, ensuring better land utilisation and diversified income.DM Jitendra Pratap Singh visited the village on Monday to review progress. He inspected the farm of progressive farmer Sunil Singh Katiyar, where pointed gourd, ivy gourd, brinjal and flowers are being cultivated simultaneously within a single structure.Officials said farmers in the village have gradually shifted from traditional crops like wheat and paddy to maize, vegetables and floriculture, significantly increasing their earnings.Katiyar, a leading maize producer in the district, has been honoured for his output and has also developed infrastructure worth Rs10 lakh under the Custom Hiring Centre Scheme with government support.Highlighting the benefits, the DM said the annual cost of multi-layer farming is around Rs1.5 to Rs2 lakh per hectare, while returns can reach Rs8 to Rs10 lakh, several times higher than conventional farming.He directed the agriculture department to promote such success stories and link more farmers with government schemes to encourage wider adoption of modern agricultural practices.